Tag Archives: funding

We have received many, many applications, and these are being processed and checked right now. With so many great projects applying, some will get funding but – sadly, inevitably – some will not. So, how is the money allocated? Well, YOU CHOOSE! Please come along on 3rd March and vote for your favourite projects, or vote online.

Applications are now closed for £eith Chooses. Thank you to all applicants for choosing to participate and for making the effort to meet the somewhat tight deadline.

The next bit is the really fun bit! Come along to the Leith Community Centre (Kirkgate) on Saturday 3rd March, meet the applicants, hear/chat informally about all the great projects on offer, and cast your votes for your favourites! We also have free food and refreshments, face-painting, glitter tattoos and balloon modelling to tempt all the family to come and join in. (Leithers over 8 can vote.)

Leith (as defined by the Neighbourhood Partnership and Community Councils) is bigger than you may think! Any community project to be delivered within the area bounded by the black line is eligible for £eith Chooses funding. Apply now!

Also people who live, work or volunteer within the black line are eligible to vote.

Submitting your application form is not the end of the process of seeking funding for your project idea – it is just the beginning! You need lots of people to vote for your project, or it may not win funding, however wonderful it is…Don’t wait until the Voting Day – start early to engage with the community to make sure people have heard of your group and your project!

Have you come up with a catchy title? Can you describe your project briefly and clearly so people can quickly understand its aims? Have you got an attention-grabbing poster, logo or banner? Have you got a presence on social media? Could you circulate a wee leaflet to relevant people / groups? Could you get interviewed on local radio?

In these days of wall-to-wall advertising, you do need to be prepared to ‘market’ and ‘sell’ your project, a bit, if possible. This may seem over the top, but on the other hand you can’t expect voters to know all about your excellent project if you don’t tell them!

Think about how much it might all cost and therefore which ‘pot’ of money you think you should apply to.

Come and talk to us about it! This is a chance for you to ask questions; ‘brainstorm ‘ about how best to frame and present your application; and to get help, if you need it, with developing a Constitution and getting a bank account (not required for Small grants, but necessary for Medium & Large grants). It can be useful to use other people, who are slightly more detached, as a ‘sounding board’ for shaping ideas.

Our Help and Support Sessions are running through December and January (with a wee break for Christmas and New Year holidays). These are very informal. Their aim is simply to encourage groups to apply, and to provide whatever support is needed. They are taking place as follows:

Look through the page tabs along the top and you’ll find the basic ‘need to know’ information about how to apply for funding to £EITH CHOOSES. We’ll be adding to these pages and filling out further details, as time goes along, so please do keep checking in.

We’ll also be posting the exact dates, times and venues for Help and Support Sessions through December and January that you can come along to, as often as you wish, for an informal conversation that hopefully will help you to sort out any issues and to get a good application form together.

What is £EITH CHOOSES?

£EITH CHOOSES is a way for local people to choose the projects in their area that they want to see getting funded. Funding depends on how the community in Leith votes.

Everybody over 8 years old, who lives, works, volunteers or studies in Leith can vote. We want as many people as possible to take part. But voting is not until February/March 2018.

For the moment, applications are being requested from groups that have ideas for projects that would benefit people / the community in Leith. Help to get an application together is available – see Help and Support Sessions page.

BIGGER & BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE

For 2017/ 2018 there is an amazing £116,000 altogether available for projects. That money comes from funding obtained by Leith Links Community Council from Scottish Government (Community Choices Fund) put together with £44,000 from the Community Grants Fund monies that is allocated to the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership by City of Edinburgh Council. See our Grant Pots, Themes, and Rules pages.

The Launch and first Funding Workshop is tonight, Wednesday 22nd November 2017. Do please come along and hear what it’s all about, discuss ideas and meet possible (project) partners, grab a set of Guidance Notes and Application Forms, have a Tunnocks teacake….